Improvement in washing-machines



JOH N K-. LEEDY. Improvement in Washing-Machines.

Patented May 21,5872.

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JOHN K. LEEDY, OF TOMS BROOK, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 127,075, dated May 21,1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. LEEDY, of Toms Brook, in the county ofShenandoah and in the State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description there of, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a washingmachine, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of my machine, and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same through line 00 m,Fig. 1.

A represents the box of my washing-machine, provided with a falsebottom, B, a suitable distance above the regular bottom of the box. 0 Drepresents the dasher which moves upon the false bottom B, and fitsbetween the sides of the box. The dasher D presses the clothes at oneend of the machine, while at the other end the dasher 0 forms aforce-pump, by means of that part thereof entering the water-chamber E,and forcing the water through the valves G G, arranged between thebottoms of the box so as to prevent the water from returning; but thewater must pass between the bottoms and up the chute H, turning over theclothes and saturating and lightening them up for the repeated strokesof the dasher. The water being thus forced through the clothes ispressed out by the slat-dasher D, attached in a vertical position to theend of the solid dasher O, and the water passes through said dasher Dunder the inclined wash-board I, arranged on the dashers, over the endof the dasher O and into the water-chamber again. Thus it will be seenthat my machine is a press and pump machine, the reciprocating dasherspressing the clothes and as a force-pump through the same.

The dashers are connected by rods J J with arms K K, projecting downwardfrom a shaft, L, placed in suitable boxes across the box A.

pumping the water This shaft is at one end provided with handles M M,and at the other end with a pendulum lever N, having a weightbox, O, atits lower end. By means of the handles M M the shaft L is rocked backand ers the required reciprocating motion.

From the water-chamber E a vent-pipe, I, leads upward to the top of thebox, and on top of the same is secured a cap, B. When the water isforced out of the chamber E by the end of the dasher G, if there was novent to let air in while the dasher is coming out of the chamber, therewould be a suction holding the dasher so as to make it draw out hard;but air passing in at the top of the pipe will make it work perfectlyeasy. The cap R is designed to throw the water back into the machine, asthe pressure of the pump would otherwise throw it high up into the air.

convenient for hand rubbing, if necessary. When the clothes are washedby the press they can be placed upon the top of the dasher, and whilethe next lot is being washed the former can be let through the wringer,so that when the washing is done the wringing also is nearly done.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The reciprocating washer O D, with its inclined board I pressing theclothes at one end and pumping the water at the other end, substantiallyas and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination of the false bottom B, reciprocating board 0 D,water-chamber E, vent-pipe F, and valves G G, all substantially as andfor thepurposes herein set forth.

3. The combination of the dasher (l D, connecting-bars J J, arms K K,shaft L, handles M M, pendulum-lever N, and the weight-box 0, allsubstantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this6th day of March, 1872.

JOHN K. LEEDY.

. .Witnesses:

JOHN S. GRABILL,

JOHN W. RODEFFER.

forth, giving to the dash The wash-board I on top of the dasher'O is.

